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Study: Patients and providers account for virtually equal shares of disparities in regional medical spending

In Miami, health care providers spent about $14,423 per Medicare patient in 2010. But in Minneapolis, average spending on Medicare enrollees that year was $7,819, just over half as much. In fact, the U.S. is filled with regional disparities in medical spending.

4 Nov 2016

Study investigates long-term outcomes in trauma patients discharged to IRFs

As more trauma patients survive their initial hospital stays, new study results show that acute inpatient rehabilitation facilities are the best places for some of these patients to go once they leave the hospital.

2 Nov 2016

New quality improvement program reduces hospital readmission rates for weight-loss surgery patients

While the average hospital saw 30-day readmission rates for weight-loss surgery patients drop by about 14 percent, some hospitals had reductions as much as 32 percent after implementing a new quality improvement program, according to new research presented today at ObesityWeek 2016, the largest international event focused on the basic science, clinical application and prevention and treatment of obesity.

2 Nov 2016

OrthoPro Services receives highly-coveted DMEPOS facility accreditation through BOC

OrthoPro Services, Inc.,has successfully completed a rigorous process to earn highly-coveted DMEPOS Accreditation from the Board for Certification/Accreditation.

2 Nov 2016

High out-of-pocket costs, rather than race/ethnicity, may impact adjuvant endocrine therapy adherence

High out-of-pocket costs, rather than race or ethnicity, are responsible for disparities associated with adherence to adjuvant endocrine therapy, according to a new study from researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health.

1 Nov 2016

Improving nurse-to-patient staffing may help decrease racial disparities in postoperative readmissions

A new study from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing's Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research shows that older black adults are not only more likely to be readmitted following an elective hip/knee replacement, than otherwise similar white patients - they may also be more adversely affected by insufficient hospital nurse staffing.

1 Nov 2016

Long-term oxygen therapy does not benefit COPD patients with moderately low blood oxygen levels

A newly published study of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) concludes that long-term supplemental oxygen treatment results in little or no change in time to death, time to first hospitalizations or significant quality of life improvements for those with moderately low blood oxygen levels.

27 Oct 2016

Comfortable living conditions, independence can help elderly Chinese immigrants feel at home in the U.S.

Having comfortable living conditions and independence from their adult children can help elderly Chinese immigrants find a sense of home and life satisfaction in the United States, but the inability to speak fluent English makes them feel unsettled, according to a research study.

26 Oct 2016

ERAS programs help patients better prepare for surgery and recover faster, studies reveal

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programs, an important component of the Perioperative Surgical Home (PSH), are helping patients better prepare for surgery and recuperate faster afterward, according to two new studies being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY 2016 annual meeting.

24 Oct 2016

Better treatment for diabetic foot disease could save billions for Australia, finds QUT research

Australia could save billions of dollars in healthcare costs by investing in proven treatments for people with diabetic foot disease, according to QUT research.

20 Oct 2016

Pennsylvania hospitals reduce mortality rates for ten common health conditions, new report reveals

Pennsylvania hospitals continue to improve quality and drive down mortality and readmission rates according to a new report released today by the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4).

20 Oct 2016

Home-based palliative care program delivers quality treatment at lower cost, study shows

A home-based palliative care (HBPC) program for individuals with advanced illnesses was associated with a $12,000 reduction in the mean total cost of care per person, fewer hospital admissions and emergency room visits, and greater use of hospice during the final three months of life, as reported in a study published in Journal of Palliative Medicine, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

18 Oct 2016

ACR issues statement regarding CMS final rule on MIPS and APMs

Today, the Department of Health and Human Services finalized its policy implementing the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System and the Advanced Alternative Payment Model incentive payment provisions in the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, collectively referred to as the Quality Payment Program.

17 Oct 2016

MSHS introduces online patient experience star ratings for its physicians

Mount Sinai Health System today began posting patient experience ratings for its doctors, becoming the largest academic health system in New York City to do so.

17 Oct 2016

New amfAR report highlights role of health plans, health care purchasers in curbing domestic HIV epidemic

Today, amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research released a new report, “Curbing the HIV Epidemic by Supporting Effective Engagement in HIV Care: Recommendations for Health Plans and Health Care Purchasers,” which highlights the critical role of health plans and health care purchasers, including Medicaid and Medicare programs, marketplaces, and employers, in moving the nation toward ending the domestic HIV epidemic.

14 Oct 2016

30-day readmission rate does not accurately measure hospital quality

The 30-day window for hospital readmissions -- used by the federal government to penalize hospitals believed to provide lower-quality care because patients return to the hospital following discharge -- should be reduced to a week or less to more accurately measure factors within a hospital's control, new research from UC Davis has found.

7 Oct 2016

High out-of-pocket costs may delay Medicare patients' access to novel targeted treatment for cancer

Significant out-of-pocket costs that cancer patients can face before Medicare insurance drug benefits kick in may delay the patients' treatment with a novel class of targeted therapies, according to a University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center-led study.

4 Oct 2016

Experts lay out key steps to change 'one-size-fits-all' consumer cost-sharing approach

If you've tried to see a doctor, fill a prescription or get a diagnostic test lately, you've probably had to pay more out of your own pocket than you would have even a few years ago. Most insurance plans have increased their co-pays and deductibles, to keep monthly premiums from rising even faster.

30 Sep 2016

NCDR provides data to study appropriate use of oral anticoagulant therapy

The American College of Cardiology's National Cardiovascular Data Registry was the source of data for research published throughout 2016, including a study examining if atrial fibrillation patients are being prescribed oral anticoagulants, how appropriate use criteria correlates to angioplasty rates and the variation among racial groups for revascularization procedures.

30 Sep 2016

Interruptions to rehab program after stroke or brain injury may be preventable, study reports

Patients in inpatient rehabilitation after a stroke, brain injury, or spinal cord injury have significant rates of interruptions of their rehab program—often including being transferred back to the hospital for treatment of complications, reports a study in the American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, the official journal of the Association of Academic Physiatrists. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer.

28 Sep 2016

Medicare News and Research

Study: Patients and providers account for virtually equal shares of disparities in regional medical spending

Study investigates long-term outcomes in trauma patients discharged to IRFs

New quality improvement program reduces hospital readmission rates for weight-loss surgery patients

OrthoPro Services receives highly-coveted DMEPOS facility accreditation through BOC

High out-of-pocket costs, rather than race/ethnicity, may impact adjuvant endocrine therapy adherence

Improving nurse-to-patient staffing may help decrease racial disparities in postoperative readmissions

Long-term oxygen therapy does not benefit COPD patients with moderately low blood oxygen levels

Comfortable living conditions, independence can help elderly Chinese immigrants feel at home in the U.S.

ERAS programs help patients better prepare for surgery and recover faster, studies reveal

Better treatment for diabetic foot disease could save billions for Australia, finds QUT research

Pennsylvania hospitals reduce mortality rates for ten common health conditions, new report reveals

Home-based palliative care program delivers quality treatment at lower cost, study shows

ACR issues statement regarding CMS final rule on MIPS and APMs

MSHS introduces online patient experience star ratings for its physicians

New amfAR report highlights role of health plans, health care purchasers in curbing domestic HIV epidemic

30-day readmission rate does not accurately measure hospital quality

High out-of-pocket costs may delay Medicare patients' access to novel targeted treatment for cancer

Experts lay out key steps to change 'one-size-fits-all' consumer cost-sharing approach

NCDR provides data to study appropriate use of oral anticoagulant therapy

Interruptions to rehab program after stroke or brain injury may be preventable, study reports

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